Category Archives: Assignent

Gastrogig, Singapore’s new series of pop-up epicurean encounters, takes place appropriately on a rooftop, where there is nothing standing between the next generation of the world’s best chefs and the stars.

Call it an alignment of the culinary cosmos. Taking the elevator of a non-descript building up to the sixth floor, I wondered what awaited when the doors opened. The answer – which held true for the rest of the evening – was something beyond the usual garden of eatin’ dreamin’.

Ku De Who? Gastrogig’s lounge is the tops.

Stacks of construction planks served as backdrop for an intimate lounge affair, put together at varying heights and sizes so you could cosy up on bright red cushions or gather around a makeshift cocktail stand. Under a splay of tangled white lights that topped a woodsy gazebo, mismatched chairs and tables symbolized the multitude of sensory appreciations that make up the finest gourmet experiences, while immaculate table settings set the scene for serious eating.

We dined all night to a soul fado band.

Beyond the barricades, a white T-shirted Sá Pessoa orchestrated a most impressive makeshift kitchen in which Portuguese olive oil looked right at home. With passion bubbling under a calm demeanour, the chef embodied the pop-up spirit as he conducted stewing sauces and the occasional blazing grill – scrappy resourcefulness designed with flair and flavor that has brought him to the forefront of Lisbon’s culinary golden age. Forget the Michelin-laded Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa carnivals that only catch a whiff of their namesakes a few times a year – you want the real chef making your supper happen, including hand-carrying home-cured bacalhau from Portugal, you dine with Gastrogig.

Alma redux in Singapura.

Tapping on her experience as part of the Savour food festival team, Jasmine Cheah conceived Gastrogig to bring novel cuisine from emerging gastronomic destinations to Singapore, celebrated over just one weekend each month. I enjoyed best the caldeirada, a fisherman’s stew with lilts of lemongrass, cardamom and chills…

… and the chef’s signature bacalhau paired with chickpea purée. All this under the glow of moonlight and kissed by star shine, which bestowed a magical zest to everything Sá Pessoa, Cheah, and their team had already accomplished. It was the first Portuguese fine dining presentation in Singapore, and we’ve only just begun.